Welcome to the West Chester University community! I offer my sincerest congratulations on your appointment as a faculty member. Hiring and welcoming new faculty is one of the most important aspects of the position of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Your department chairperson, dean, and I know that tenure-track faculty hired this year will play a critical role in the future developments of departments and the University as a whole. Therefore, we share a special interest in your future success at WCU.

Part of assuring that success is helping you get a good start as you begin your first year at the University. To assist in this process, we have developed a New Faculty Orientation program that starts in August and has continuing sessions throughout the academic year. The goals of this program include giving you an overview of the mission, values, and special priorities of the University and providing you with information about what it takes to “make it” at West Chester University. During the Orientation program, you will have an opportunity to meet faculty and administrators in key leadership roles. In addition, you will meet other new faculty from the “Class of 2014”. They will most likely have questions similar to yours about beginning this new experience and they may become your most supportive colleagues.

Over the years, the feedback has been very positive from new faculty about this program and evaluations have indicated that the entire orientation program has been very helpful. Therefore, I strongly encourage you to structure your August schedule to attend all of the three-and-a-half-day orientation sessions.

We are confident that this experience will be both worthwhile and enjoyable. I will look forward to meeting you in August!